FO371-23523 — Page 121

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P 13659/3918/10.

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EL

S.W.1.

13th December, 1939.

77

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Immediate.

8ir,

I am directed by Viscount Halifax to refer to Foreign

Office letter No.P 12456/3918/10 of the 12th December

forwarding a copy of a telegram addressed to His Majesty's

Ambassador in China on the subject of the withdrawal of

His Majesty's Ships from the upper Yangtze,

2. In paragraph 6 of his letter No. 11376/3918/10 of the

8th November, Lord Halifax expressed his concurrence with the

Commander-in-Chief that internment of the three gunboats above

Hankow, that is to say in free China, should be postponed, at

least until the Chinese Government approached His Majesty's

Government on the subject.

3. This approach was in fact made to Bir Archibald Clark

Kerr during his recent visit to Chungking (see Shanghai

telegram No.1321 of the lat December) and it now appears from

Sir Archibald Clark Kerr's further telegram No.1366 (a copy

of which is now enclosed) that the retention of a gunboat at

Chungking is no longer required in the interests of telegraphic

communication with the Diplomatic Mission there.

4. In these circumstances Lord Halifax sees no objection to

two out of the three ships on the upper Yangtze being laid up as

proposed in the Commander-in-Chief's telegram ilo,336 to the

Admiralty. I am to add that he would be grateful if he could

be informed in due course of the decision of the Lorda

Commissioners of the Admiralty, so that arrangements may be

made to notify the Governments concerned.

I only

Your obedient Servant,

The Secretary

of the Admiralty.

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(Sd.) R. G. HOWE,

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